Corn-planter.



No. 591,195; Patented Jan. 14, I902.

' n. a. 0. SOMEBS & c. POWERS.

CORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Aug. 21, 19,01.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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CORN PLANTER.

[Application filed Aug. 21, 1901.1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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DAVID SOMERS, ORAL SOMERS, AND CURTIS POIVERS, OF OSSIAN, INDIANA.

CORN=PLANTEFL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,19 5,dated January 14, 1902. Application filed August 21, 1901. Serial No.72,842. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID SOMERS, ORAL SOMERS, and (loans POWERS,citizens of the United States,residing at Ossian ,in the county of Wellsand State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Corn-Planter, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in corn -planters of the typedesignated wireless check-row planters,and has for its object to providean agricultural implement of this character with, simple, durable, andefficient mechanism for dropping the corn at predetermined intervals, sothat the hills will be properly spaced apart with regularity andprecision.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means forthrowing the dropping mechanism into and out of operation, so that thedropping of the corn will be effected automatically as the planter isdrawn across the field or Will be prevented. from dropping during thetransportation of the implement from one point of use to another.

Other objects of the invention subordinate to those enumerated willhereinafter more fully appear as the necessity for their accomplishmentis developed in the succeeding description of that preferred form ofourinvention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings andembraced within the scope of the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1, is a plan view of a corn-planter equippedwith our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevationillustrating the construction and operation of the dropping mechanismand showing the tappet-arm in dot-ted lines in its inoperative position.Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the bearing-bracket, showing indotted lines the open position of the gate; and Fig. 4: is a sectionalelevation of the marker-wheeladjusting lever, the ratchet-wheel, and themarker-wheel.

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate correspondingpartsthroughout the views.

The organization of the corn-planter as a Whole, aside from the droppingmechanism and the check-wheel-adjusting device, is ordinary andcomprises the planter or wheel frame 1, comprising connected side bars 2and 3, supported upon a shaft or axle 4, passed through and journaled inthe side bars and having fixed to its outer ends the carrying- Wheels 5and 6, located beyond the opposite sides of the frame, as shown. theplanterframe is located the runner-frame 7, the detailed construction ofwhich need not be described, as it constitutes no part of the presentinvention. It may be stated, how ever, that this frame is adjustablyconnected with the main or wheel frame 1 in the usual manner andcomprises runners 8 and 9 and dropper-tubes 10 and 11 and supportsseedboxes or hoppers l2 and 13 above the dropper- In advance of tubesand in position to deposit corn or other seeds into the ground throughthe tubes.

The feed mechanism With which each of the hoppers is provided is alsoordinary and need not be described; but, as shown in the drawings, thesefeed mechanisms are operated by a rock-shaft 14, extending transverselyacross the runner-frame at its rear end and ordinarily designated theoperating-shaft, since by the rocking thereof the feed mechanisms of thehoppers are operated to effect the dropping of the corn simultaneouslyfrom each of the hoppers or seedboxes at predetermined intervals as theplanter advances over the ground.

WVe now come to a consideration of the mechanism comprehended by ourinvention, which mechanism, as heretofore premised, is designed toeffect the dropping of the seed at predetermined regular intervals bycausing the rocking of the operating-shaft 14 to open the feed-valves.This mechanism comprises a rocker-arm 15, extending rearwardly from therock-shaft14,adjacent to one end thereof, and having pivotal connectionat its outer end, as indicated at 16, with the front end of thetappet-arm 17, normally disposed in a horizontal plane, and extendedrearwardly into operative proximity to a cam-wheellS,

keyed or otherwise secured upon the shaft or axle 4 at any suitablepoint, but preferably between the frame and one of the carryingwheels.The cam-wheel 18 may be given any desired form accordingly as a greateror less interval is desired between the hills. In the illustratedembodiment of the invention,however, it is designed to cause the corn'tobe dropped twice during each complete rotation IOO of thecarrying-Wheels, and the cam-wheel 18 is therefore shown as beingprovided with 17 for the purpose of reciprocating the latter twiceduring each rotation of the carryingwheels, the retraction of thetappet-arrn 17 atter each actuation by the cams being effected by theretracting means associated with and constituting a part of a feedmechanism, as is Well understood in the art. It is obvious that suchreciprocation of the tappet-arrn will effect the oscillation of the arm15 and the consequent opening of the feed-valves through the rocking ofthe operating-shaft.

Supported in any suitable manner, but preferably by attachment to one ofthe side bars of the frame 1, is a bearing-bracket 21, formed with alaterally-opening socket 22 for the reception of the frame-bar, to whichit is attached, and with an upwardlyopening bearing 23 for the slidablesupportof the tappet-arm, the bracket being provided with abinding-screw or other suitable retaining device 24, designed to bearagainst the bar to hold the bracket securely in place. The socket 22 forthe frame-bar opens into the seat 23 and is closed by a gate-pin 24,passed vertically through the top and bottom walls of the bracket toretain the end Wall of the bracket against the outer face of theframebar. Upstanding from the bottom of the seat 23 is preferablyprovided, as shown, a spacing-pin 23 designed to prevent undue sidewisemovement of the tappetarm. The bearing-seat 23 for the tappet is closedby a pivoted gate 25, extended across the top of the seat 23 and pivotedto the bracket at its outer end, as indicated at 26, whereby said gatemay be swung to a closed position to prevent the lateral withdrawal ofthe tappet-arm by the upward swinging of the latter or may be swung toits open position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to permit theelevation ofthe tappet-arln out of operative relation with thecam-wheel. When in its closed position, the gate is retained by a latch27, engaging its free end and preferably formed at the upper end of thegate-pin 24, as shown. In check-row planters of the character with whichour invention is concerned it is usual to employ some form of checkingor marking device by means of which the ground is marked or checked atthose points at which the seeds are deposited in order that inretraversing the field the operator may be guided in planting the hillsof corn in direct line with the hills of the rows previously planted. Inthe present construction the checks or marking-blocks 28 and 29 arescrewed or otherwise secured upon the periphery of one of thedriving-wheels, preferably the wheel 5, located at the right-hand sideof the planter. These checks or checkblocks are located upon the wheelat such points as will present them directly over the seeds dropped fromthe seedboxes, so that the seeds having been dropped the further advanceof the machine will cause the blocks to properly check the ground toindicate the location of the hills. Inasmuch, therefore, as thecheck-wheel and the cam-wheel are rotated in unison the seeds will beproperly dropped and checked at regular intervals. The number ofcheck-blocks will, of course, depend upon the number of projections uponthe cam-wheel, since itis evident that as each projection efiects thedropping of the seeds a like number of projections and check-blocks mustbe employed in order to properly drop the seeds and check the hills.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision ofmeans for resetting or adjusting the marking and cam wheels when the endof a row has been reached. As soon as the last hill in a row has beenplanted the machine is turned, and it sometimes happens, therefore, thatwhen the machine is in position to be drawn back over the field for theplanting of another row the mechanism will not be in proper position todeposit the first hill of the row to be planted at a point directlyopposite the last hill in the planted row. We thereforeprovide the axleor shaft 4, preferably adjacent to the check-wheel 5, with aratchet-wheel 30, the teeth of which are designed to be engaged with thepawl 31 of what may be termed a check-wheel-adjustinglever 32, having abifurcated end spanning the ratchet-wheel, as shown, and having abearing upon theaXle, the pawl 31 being pivotally mounted between thebifurcations of the lever and provided with lateral stops 33 forlimiting its movement in one direction. By means of this lever, which,like the tappet-arm 17, is in convenient reach of the driver, the shaftand wheels may be rotated while the machine is not in motion in orderthat the parts may be placed in position to drop the corn immediatelyupon the starting of the machine.

Briefly,the-operation of the planterequipped with our inventionis asfollows: The machine is drawn across the field by the draft-animals inthe usual manner, and as the cam-wheel rotates with the carrying-wheels5 and 6 the projections 19 and 20 on said cam-wheel will be successivelypresented to the rear end of the tappet-arm 17, causing the latter to bemoved endwise and the operating-shaft 14 to be rocked to operate thefeed mechanism to drop the corn as the machine advances,after whichdropping of the corn or seeds the hills will be marked by thecheck-blocks. When the machine has reached the end of the row and isturned, the driver by manipulating the check-wheel-adjusting lever isenabled to present the cam and check wheels in proper position toproperly drop the corn and to check the hills in the next row at pointsdirectly opposite the hills of the row which has just been planted. Whenthe planting of the field has been completed, the gate 25 of thetappet-arm bearing is swung to its open position and the tappet-arm isswung upwardly out of engagement with the cam-wheel. The gate 25 is thenclosed and the tappet-arm will. rest thereon in an inoperativeposition,so that the machine may be transported from one point of use toanother without effecting the operation of the dropping mechanism.

It is thought that from the foregoing the construction and operation ofour invention will be clearly apparent; but while the present embodimentof the invention is believed at this time to be preferable we desire toreserve to ourselvesthe right to effect such changes, modifications, andvariations thereof as may be properly embraced within the scope of theprotection prayed.

What we claim is- 1. In a corn-planter, the combination with a frame,seedboxes, dropper-tubes, and dropper mechanism, of a pivoted tappet-armoperatively related to the dropper mechanism, a cam operated by theforward movement of the planter to actuate the tappet-arm, anupwardly-opening bearing-bracket secured to the frame at a pointintermediate of the ends of the tappet-arm, a movable gate mounted uponthe bearing-bracket to confine the tappet-arm therein for actuation bythe cam, and to support said arm in an inoperative position, and meansfor retaining the gate in its closed position. v

2. In a corn-planter, the combination with a frame, an axle,carrying-Wheels and a camwheel fixed on the axle, of seedboxes,dropper-tubes and feed mechanism within said seedboxes, an operatingshaft connected with the feed mechanism and provided with alaterally-disposed rocker-arm, a tappetarm connected to the rocker-armand opposed to the cam-wheel, an upwardly-opening bearing-bracketsecured to the frame at a point intermediate of the ends of thetappet-arm, a movable gate mounted upon the-bearingbracket to confinethe tappet-arm therein for actuation by the cam, and to support saidtappet-arm in an inoperative position, and

means for retaining the gate inits closed position.

3. In a corn-planter, the combination with a frame, seedboXes anddropper tnbes carried thereby, dropper mechanism, a pivoted tappet-armoperatively related to the dropper mechanism, and a cam operated by theforward movement of the planter and in operative relation with thetappet-arm, of a bearing-bracket provided with a laterallyopening socketfor the reception of a framebar, and with an upwardly-opening bearingfor the reception of the tappet-arm, means for securing the bracket tothe frame-bar, and a pivoted gate mounted on the bracket andextendedacross the open side of the upwardly-opening bearing, whereby said gatemay confine the tappet-arm in its operative position or sustain said armin its inoperative position, as desired.

at. In a corn-planter, the combination With a frame, seedboxes anddropper-tubes carried thereby, dropper mechanism, a pivoted tappet-armoperatively related to the dropper mechanism, and a cam operated by theforward movement of the planter and in operative relation with thetappet-arm, of a bearing bracket formed with a laterallyopening socketfor the reception of a framebar and with an upwardly-opening bearing forthe slidable support of the tappet-arm, a retaining device for securingthe bracket to the frame-bar, a spacing-pin located within the bearingand designed to prevent undue sidewise movement of the tappet-arm, apivoted gate carried by the bracket and closing the upwardly-openingbearing, and means for retaining the gate in its closed position.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID SOMERS.

ORAL SOMERS. CURTIS POWERS. Witnesses:

W. A. WOODWARD, A. G. GoRRELL.

